I am still only a first year photography student and I am studying part time so I still have another two years of university after this one. This brief is all based around business and finding clients to produce photography work to help develop skills and learn what being a photographer is all about.
I have recently had a website built which I plan to showcase my work initially and then change the format to promote my business. I only have the layout and I need to add information and change images but this is a slow process as I need to do this myself. At the moment my website has an about me page which gives a brief about me statement, what I like to photograph and quotes from inspirational photographers. I will at a later date change the information to promote my business.
When setting up a business there are certain rules and regulations that need to be considered;
Criminal Record Clearance (CRB Check)
A CRB check, also known as a background check is the process of looking up or compiling criminal records, commercial records and financial records about people you work with. Employers use these to check prospective employees. It is a good idea when in a position of trust which, as a photographer you are, to have a CRB check on yourself so you hold the Disclosure Certificate should anyone want to see it. As many photographers work with children and sometimes vulnerable people it is always a good idea to reassure any future clients that they are dealing with a trustworthy responsible person.
Health and Safety
Implementing health and safety considerations within the workplace is an important part of running any business. It is a fact that over 200 people lose their lives at work each year and this is not counting the many that are injured. Health and Safety at work is about preventing people from causing harm to themselves at work. As a self employed person you must always ensure you are providing a satisfactory working environment and follow health and safety measures. We must always ensure that we are aware of the health and safety of ourselves and those around us.
The Health and Safety at work act 1974 can be downloaded from the internet and this outlines all the information about the act.
The government have a pdf which outlines all the criteria covered by health and safety;
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg259.pdf
The most common health and safety issues are tripping and slipping. Products and tools should not be left lying around causing a tripping hazard and the same applies to any substance spilt on the floor which could cause a slipping hazard. Wires and cables should always be properly installed so no loose wiring is on show to cause a tripping hazard.
Copyright Law
The copyright designs and patents act 1988 is the current UK copyright law. This law gives an artist the sole right to control the way their work is used. If the work is created by an employee within a company then the copyright is then usually owned by the company. If the work has been created by freelance or commissioned work then the work usually belongs to the creator.
A full copy of the act can be found at;
www.jenkins-ip.com
Usually artists will only enforce copyright for a certain period of time. When visiting Adrian Heapy at The Image Depot recently he said that he only enforced copyright for a certain amount of time. Adrian said it is quite a complex law because when you are working for a client and it is their product you are photographing it gets complicated to enforce copyright. Adrian usually gives free use for ten years.
Data Protection
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires appropriate security measures are in place to safeguard against unauthorised or unlawful use of data. When you handle personal information of others you are required by law to protect that information under the Data Protection Act. You are required by law to;
- Only collect information that you need for a specific purpose
- Keep it Secure
- Ensure it is relevant and up to date
- Only hold as much as you need and for as long as you need it
- Allow the subject of the information to see it on request
The Information Commissioners Office holds all the information needed to comply with the Data Protection Act including a guide for download Getting it Right : A brief guide for Data Protection for Small Businesses. The guide states that all data must be processed fairly and lawfully and only be used for the purpose in which it was obtained.
Equal Opportunities
Equal Opportunities is about discrimination, harassment and victimisation within the work place and the surrounding area in which you live and work. It is very important that people are not discriminated against and that all people are treated the same and given the same opportunities.
Insurance
Insurance is a very important part of any business as you need to make sure that you are covered for you equipment in the event of an accident or loss. Also, as a business I will have to make sure that I am covered for Public Liability Insurance. Public Liability Insurance covers injury or death for anyone in or around your property. This will also cover for location photography should anyone be injured or die and subsequently bring a lawsuit or claim against me. I will need to look into public liability insurance and the cost but estimate it would be around £100.00 for a small photography business with no premises. Public Liability Insurance cost is determined by the size of the business, the premises, the amount of employees and various other factors.
HMRC
When setting up a new business you should contact HM Revenue and customs and register your business with them so they can send all the forms for your tax return to the registered address for your business.
I am already a company director of a limited company and when we first started in business I attended a small business course ran by business link which covered all the information needed for running a small business. They give so much information on their website www.businesslink.gov.uk and I still use this site occasionally if I need any information. HM Revenue and customs have a leaflet SE1 Thinking of Working for yourself which can also be downloaded from the Internet. The covers information about keeping records, self assessment, Class 2 National Insurance contributions, corporation tax, VAT and Allowances, Reliefs and Incentives. There is also a helpline for the Newly Self Employed 0845 915 4515.
The threshold for being VAT registered is a turnover of £73000.00 and the present VAT rate is 20%. This means that until the business is turning over £ 73 thousand you are not required to register for VAT. You can register any business for VAT but this will not benefit many businesses especially a business offering a service rather than the sale of goods. Corporation tax is paid by Limited Companies and I would run my business as a sole trader so a self assessment would be necessary but no corporation tax would by payable.
